Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza's Heisman Trophy win was not easy. In fact, despite the Hoosiers going unbeaten with a Big Ten title and the College Football Playoff's No. 1 seed as an icing on the cake before their postseason journey officially begins, five different games made the season reality for Mendoza to rise to the sport's mountaintop.
Fox Sports' Michael Cohen reviewed each of them, as all of them have a different story about a trait Mendoza possessed to come out on top.
In summary, his journey to winning a Big Ten title and securing consideration for the Heisman Trophy was defined by wins against the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini in terms of individuality, while wins against the Penn State Nittany Lions and Iowa Hawkeyes were signs of handling adversity to near perfection.
"Mendoza, a transfer from Cal, was already the Heisman Trophy front-runner entering last week’s conference title game against then-No. 1 Ohio State, though he certainly was still within striking distance of Sayin and Pavia," Cohen wrote. "By the time Mendoza arrived at Lucas Oil Stadium, he’d already guided the Hoosiers to 10 victories by double-digit margins, including a 63-10 evisceration of then-No. 9 Illinois and a thumping 30-20 triumph at Autzen Stadium against then-No. 3 Oregon."
Mendoza, too, though had some very close calls.
"He had also authored come-from-behind road wins against Iowa (20-15) and Penn State (27-24) that included bona fide Heisman Trophy-caliber moments in each: his 49-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Elijah Sarratt when facing an all-out blitz from the Hawkeyes with 1:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, and his inch-perfect throw to wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who made a stunning, toe-tapping grab in the back of the end zone, for the winning score with 0:36 remaining against the Nittany Lions," Cohen added.
But, ultimately, Mendoza came out on the right side of history.
"They were the kind of season-defining throws voters remember weeks and months later when casting ballots," Cohen concluded.
At the end of the day, each win carried even more than the one before it. Now, Mendoza will have a chance to finish a perfect season for the Hoosiers before potentially going to the NFL.
For now, though, it's a one game at a time approach in Bloomington.